Continuing decline in hormone therapy use: population trends over 17 years

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Public Health Surveillance
• Pharmaceutical Use

Background:

• Menopausal hormone therapy (HT) is a common treatment for menopausal symptoms.
• Public perception and media coverage significantly influence HT adoption and trends.
• Understanding HT prevalence is crucial for public health planning and patient counseling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of menopausal hormone therapy (HT) use in Australia in 2008.
• To analyze trends in HT utilization over the preceding 17 years (1991-2008).
• To identify demographic characteristics of HT users and trends in product types.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from nine population-based, face-to-face interview surveys in South Australia (1991-2008).
• Employed consistent methodology and quality control across all surveys.
• Collected demographic data, HT usage, and health dimensions (SF-36) in the 2008 survey (n=1555 women, 953 over 40).

Main Results:

• HT use peaked around 2000, declining thereafter; by 2008, 11.8% used conventional HT and 4.0% used unregistered alternative hormonal products.
• Conventional HT use was highest in women aged 50-59 (13.4%), with unregistered products being rare previously.
• HT users were generally better educated, employed, partnered, had higher incomes, and were less inclined to use complementary/alternative medicines.

Conclusions:

• A sustained decline in conventional HT prevalence and duration of use occurred post-2003, likely linked to negative media reports.
• A significant concern is the increasing use of untested, unregistered hormonal mixtures by approximately one-quarter of menopausal HT users.
• The long-term safety and efficacy of these alternative hormonal products remain unknown and warrant medical attention.